Site record MDR10500 - Markeaton Hall Park, Markeaton, Derby
Type and Period (4)
- LANDSCAPE PARK (Georgian to Mid 20th Century - 1770 AD? to 1964 AD?)
- RIDGE AND FURROW (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
- PUBLIC PARK (Mid 20th Century to 21st Century - 1964 AD to 2050 AD)
- DEER PARK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1370 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Markeaton Park was landscaped by William Emes in the late 18th century, along lines made fashionable by Lancelot Brown, and covered most of the 185 acres of its medieval predecessor. It included a serpentine lake (since widened for boating), a picturesque mill and cascade (which may have owed something to the hydraulic ingenuity of John Whitehurst), and wooded walks towards the boundaries, these last reached by a more formal one from the garden, running west. The old porch from the east entrance was replaced in the late 19th century and re-erected at the far end of the west walk. The pets cemetery in the park has an old sandstone pinnacle set up as an obelisk; it may possibly be a fragment of the early house. Another embellishment was a marble fountain base from Venice, brought back from the Grand Tour by Francis Mundy, and with a superstructure of Nuremburg ironwork; after 1964 this was re-erected at The Rocks, Matlock Bath. Two superb cast-iron urns by Handyside stood at the top of the steps leading from the orangery to the park. These were removed for safe keeping, but have since disappeared. After demolition of the hall in 1964 the park has become a municipalised landscaped studded with hideously utilitarian World War II army buildings. (1)
Parkland associated with Markeaton Hall (SMR32358). The park was created in the 1770s by William Emes of Bowbridge Fields, necessitating the removal from its original site of much of what remained of Markeaton village. Markeaton Hall and its park remained intact until 1929 when the Hall and 16 acres of gardens were left by will to the council. When the council demolished the Hall in 1964, they purchased a further 211 acres of the park and created a public park, marred only by World War Two army buildings. The lake has been widened and the A38 crosses the park's southern spur. The fossilised ridge and furrows from Markeaton defunct medieval village can be discerned amidst Emes' striking landscape. (2)
The park was no doubt the original medieval park documented in the Darley Cartulary and stocked with fifty deer in 1370. (3)
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SDR4297 Bibliographic reference: Craven, M & Stanley, M. 1991. The Derbyshire Country House. p 138.
- <2> SDR19698 Bibliographic reference: Craven, M. 1996. The Illustrated History of Derby Suburbs. pp 97-98.
- <3> SDR20777 Bibliographic reference: Wiltshire, M & Woore, S. 2009. Medieval Parks of Derbyshire. pp. 114-115.
- <4> SDR24675 Unpublished document: Hurford, M (TPA). 2015. Markeaton Resortation Project, Markeaton Park, Derby: An Archaeological Excavation.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 33286 37606 (1598m by 1232m) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | DERBY, DERBY, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR5125
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Oct 17 2022 10:55AM